NO MEN ARE FOREIGN - James Kirkup

Annotation of 'No Men are Foreign':

Harvests (N): Plural form of the word “harvest”, that is, the season’s yield or crop

Starv’d (V): Short form of the word “starved”, which is, in turn, the past participle form of the word “starve”, that is, cause to suffer or die from hunger

Labour (N): Work, especially physical work

Recognise (V): Identify (someone or something) from having encountered them before; know again

Dispossess (V): Deprive (someone) of land, property, or other possessions

Betray (V): Be gravely disloyal to

Condemn (V): Sentence (someone) to a particular punishment, especially death

Arms (N): Weapons; armaments

Defile (V): Damage the purity or appearance of; mar or spoil

Outrage (V): Arouse fierce anger, shock, or indignation in (someone)

Poetic Devices in 'No Men are Foreign':

Rhyme scheme:

The poet does not follow any identifiable rhyme scheme in this poem.

Rhetorical devices:

Apostrophe: This rhetorical device is used when a poet addresses his or her poem to an absent audience. In this poem, the poet uses the device of the apostrophe as he addresses all his advice directly to his readers.

Polysyndeton:

This rhetorical device consists in the use of several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some could otherwise be omitted. In this poem, the poet uses the device of polysyndeton on the 5th line when he writes “ sun and air and water”, repeating the conjunction “and” unnecessarily.

Transferred epithet:

This rhetorical device is used when an emotion is attributed to a non-living thing after being displaced from a person, most often the poet himself or herself. In this poem, the poet uses the device of the transferred device on the 6th line when he writes the phrase “peaceful harvests”. It is not the harvests themselves that are peaceful, but peaceful social and political conditions that prevent a shortage of crops or famine and make harvests possible.

Metaphor:

This rhetorical device is used when a covert comparison is made between two different things or ideas. In this poem, the poet uses the device of metaphor on the 3rd line as he compares his fellow human beings with his own brothers. He again uses it on the 6th line when he compares war with winter since reduced resources are available at both those sides. He uses it for the last time in the 18th line when he compares wars with hells.

Thinking about the Poem

1. (i) “Beneath all uniforms…” What uniforms do you think the poet is speaking about?
 (ii) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?

 Answer: (i) The poet is probably speaking about the uniforms that the soldiers wear at the time of war. The word “uniform” here could also mean the traditional dresses of a country.

(ii) The poet suggests that all people on earth are the same as they breathe, buried, wake, sleep, hate, love and labour. The importance of the sun and air and water is equal for everyone. Everyone needs peace and suffers from starvation during wars. 

2. In stanza 1, find five ways in which we all are alike. Pick out the words. 

Answer: Words which suggest the five ways in which we all are like are: 

Each of us has a similar body 

All of us breathe 

All of us walk 

All of us lie 

We live and die on the same earth 

3. How many common features can you find in stanza 2? Pick out the words.

 Answer: There are five common features in stanza2. These features are the sun, the air, the water, peaceful harvest, hands and the labour. 

4. “…whenever we are told to hate our brothers…” When do you think this happens? Why? Who ‘tells’ us? Should we do as we are told at such times? What does the poet say? Answer: Whenever there is war, leaders tell people to hate the other country. They tell us to do so because of their personal gains. But we should not act as a puppet in their hands and do as they say. We should understand that war is futile and analyses the situation before jumping to conclusions.. The poet says that if we fight against them, we kill and condemn ourselves.